FAQs

Who makes use of your services?I offer my range of services to publishers (trade and academic), private businesses of all sizes, independent authors/self publishers, students, charities, public sector organisations and educational establishments both local to where I live in Nottinghamshire (UK) and internationally.

All these documents benefit from having a clear message, consistent layout and correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Do you have any specialisms?I am able to work on a variety of subject areas, but specialise in:

• Geography (physical and human) and related subjects such as development, population, environmental and urban/rural studies• Social sciences and humanities• Literary theory and criticism• Natural history and nature conservation• History, arts and heritage• Fiction and poetry• Grant funding and bid writing• European and UK policy• Lifestyle, personal development and hobbies• The charity and voluntary sector• Disability and health & social care​I also have expertise in writing in plain, clear English and for a lay audience: I can jargon-bust, rewrite, simplify complex concepts and make a difficult reading experience easy. I work within the recommendations of the Plain English Campaign.﻿

What are your rates?﻿Please contact me f﻿or a no obligation competitive quote for the work required – the price is individual and varies according to the nature of the proofreading or writing and research required.

For proofreading, I require certain details in order to give an accurate quote such as: a sample of the text (ie the first chapter or initial paragraphs), the approximate word count of the entire document, the nature of the text and subject matter. For writing and researching, I will discuss the basic requirements with the client such as length, subject matter, purpose and target audience.

My pricing structure for proofreading is based on the Society for Editors and Proofreaders' (SfEP) suggested rates. For copywriting, my prices are based on those recommended by ProCopywriters.﻿What is the process for commissioning your work?The first step is to contact me in order to discuss the specific project. I tailor each piece of work from the outset to ensure customers receive the best possible service, and the work matches their expectations and requirements.

Why can't I just proofread using a computer spelling and grammar check?Judgement cannot be made by a computer and proofreading is not a 'mechanical' job. Judgement and a meticulous eye for detail are some of the proofreader's most important skills. Computer spelling and grammar checks cannot: pick up on inconsistencies; read for sense, repetition, ambiguity or logic; pick up on incorrect use of words (such as affect/effect and accept/except); check whether the correct abbreviation or acronym has been used; or distinguish between words that are words but have mistakenly been used in the wrong context (such as form/from, not/now, casual/causal, pubic/public and then/than).

Can I not just proofread my own work?This is very tricky as most people are too familiar with their work to give an 'objective' read through of the content. People very often read what they want to see, or what their brain tells them should be there, rather than what is actually present on the page or screen! The brain can also get side-tracked by the message the individual is trying to convey rather than the nuts and bolts of language use and its conventions.

What are your terms and conditions?A copy of my terms and conditions is issued for each new piece of work. There are separate terms and conditions for students submitting work to be assessed. I follow SfEP's Code of Practice﻿at all times.